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The Windwright
Rise of a Profession Some 80 years ago, North Point Keep was founded and House Stonehearth brought new traffic through the treacherous central Sword Coast. Neither trolls nor undead deterred them, and the keep’s village turned into a town – and finally a city. As North Point rose in prominence, the benefits to the nearby island of Orlumbor never seemed to stop. Suddenly, there was a place from which rocky Orlumbor could import food. The demand for the island’s shipwrights grew and the cottage trade turned into an industry. But there has always been a cloud behind that silver lining: obsolescence. The Age of Sail, ancient and unchanging, is threatened by paddlewheels, propellers, screws and even more magical forms of propulsion. When those methods are jealously guarded by Stonehearth, what can Orlumbor do? They innovate! As the gods returned to conduits of divine and natural magic, the sailors of Orlumbor knew one way the sails could billow with tailwinds: to create the winds themselves. Mariner druids carved a new niche as the critical link for high-performance sailing vessels. Now known as Windwrights, they are in demand through the Sword Coast and beyond. A Windwright’s Right of Passage Few folk have the discipline to ply the trade of the seas, and fewer still are so keenly attuned the maritime nature that brings both life and death. For these few, there are Wind Masters in Orlumbor that can teach those who have heard the calling. Sea witch, wind whisperer or wave mistress, they go by many names. The PC doesn’t pay for training – that is underwritten by the ship builders of the Island. Rather, they are paid for train with the expectation that they’ll eventually crew a ship built in their own harbors. The first money made is always to create a spell focus, either a symbolic ring for the casting of the winds, or an oar that will serve for the final leg of a nautical journey. The PC in this case commissions the creation of their focus at the magical nexus of nearby North Point. Just as the three months finish for the creation of their custom-enchanted focus, the enchanter disappears – and it’s up to them to find that enchanter amidst the chaos of preparing to take a war to a lich just as a dragon brings war to them. The Windwright Class A windwright is a druid with a sailor’s background rather than a hermit. As with druids in general, Wisdom should be the character’s highest ability score, followed by Constitution. If they're planning on casting with Primal magic, Intelligence should right up with Wisdom. A windwright is not a combat profession – rather it channels nature for a living, working side by side with sailors. Aboard ships with a Windwright, they are on deck, just behind the helmsman who is always on the ship's wheel. On ships that use windwrights, usually just one, their focused ability is highly prized and they have a special place among the crew – they are the ship’s luck. Windwrights are paid on par with the First Mate, second only to the Captain. Feature: Ship’s Passage Similar to sailors, windwrights can secure free passage on a sailing ship for the character and their adventuring companions. It is a favor, so a PC can’t be certain of a schedule or route that will meet specialized need. The Dungeon Master will determine how long it takes to get where you need to go. A windwright is considered good luck, so small accompanying parties will not be required to assist the crew, and may even eat free during the voyage. If something happens to the ship, however, the windwright (and party) are expected to respond. No winds or storms would be a key time for a windwright to step up, and of course, being attacked at sea would be the other opportunity to contribute. Druid Circle Windwrights automatically default to the Coast subset of the Circle fo the Land. It just so happens that the “coast” extends to the deck of a sailing ship. Building Tailwinds The stock-in-trade of a Windwright is producing a steady tailwind. With any kind of ring-shaped focus, Windwrights can cast the Gust of Wind spell from first level as a ritual. The wind blows from (technically through) the ring – for up to 8 hours sustained by the druid’s concentration, after which a long rest is required. At the beginning of the focus, the ring will levitate to a position, usually mid-mainsail, and will fly in relation to the druid on the vessel. The druid can adjust the levitated position of the ring port or starboard to assist the navigation. The Character knows the gust cantrip. Faith * These druids worship of Nature as a primal force beyond personification, though some give a nod to the gods of Tempest (like Umberlee). After the recent Time of Troubles, where the gods abandoned the mortals, the believers in primal force are more the rule than the exception, especially on the unforgiving seas. Skill Proficiencies * Athletics, Perception Tool Proficiencies * Navigator’s tools, vehicles (water) Windwright’s Wisdom * When the character makes any ability check involving operating or maintaining a water vehicle, they can roll one Wisdom die, a d4, and add the number rolled to the ability check. Equipment * A ring spell focus, belaying pin (club), 50 feet of silk rope, a simple compass, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp. * The default spell focus may be minimal – recently broken, lost, stolen, destroyed, etc., giving a hook to character's first adventure. For an adventure tailored specifically for this, ask your DM about the Pursuit of the Windwright quest. A tip o' the hat to our class inspiration... Category:Player-Character Notes Category:DM/GM Notes